How to photograph triplets+1…

I thought I’d lay out a tutorial of how to photograph triplets. I’m going to complicate matters a bit. I’m going to add in the following requirements (how ridiculously demanding of me!)

  1. Christmas tree.
  2. Clean clothing
  3. Semi-clean hands and faces
  4. All four sets of eyes looking at camera (smiles preferred, but not required)
  5. Assistants hands/arms/legs not shown

Now that we’ve laid out the ground rules, here is how to photograph triplets+1 in a few easy steps.

First, dress the children in matching/coordinating outfits. Should that not work, just try to have clean clothing on them and preferably not the pajamas they’ve worn for the last three days. *Photograph of this craziness not shown.*

Now think that your children are more patient and obedient than they really are and attempt to have them just stand in front of the tree.

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Realize, as they all keep running from the tree towards the camera, that this just isn’t going to work.

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Attempt to hang one by her feet in order to get all four children in the photo at once (daddy’s idea, not mine, but it sure was creative!)

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Give up on having all four kids in the picture, and attempt to just have three in order to get a semblance of smiling, happy faces, looking at the camera.

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Fail miserably at that as well.

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Finally distract them with a variety of toys and think this is the best you will get.

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Decide to just take a picture of one child at a time. And the only one that will cooperate is the big brother.

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Finally decide to pull out the high chairs where you will have three trapped and then just have to corral the big brother into standing still.

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Realize that getting him to stand still in the front is just not going to happen. Decide to trap him in the back with the threat that if he touches the tree he will go to bed. Use bribes incentives of “special treats” and chocolate to get this to be marginally effective.

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Yet again, realize it’s just not working. Take a snack break. Give the children some food, and regroup. Go through photos and try to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Then realize that you didn’t try using a jingly, funny, penguin with a rattle in it as an attention getter. DUH! What WERE you thinking?! Mommy’s monkey sounds and funny raspberry noises just don’t cut it anymore.

And there you have it. Success. Thank goodness Christmas is only once per year!

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4 thoughts on “How to photograph triplets+1…

  1. That’s hilarious! I am glad you found success. We are still working on it…There is not a lot of cooperation for group photos these days. And, like your family, we try many strategies. Hopefully, we will have your success as an end result in the future : 0 ).

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